My lord and 'he are grown

"Always together, tête-à-tête ;

"What! they admire him for his jokes?--"See but the fortune of fome folks!". There flies about a ftrange report

Of fome exprefs arriv'd at court :

I'm stopp'd by all the fools I meet,

every

ftreet.

And catechis'd in
"You, Mr. Dean, frequent the great:
"Inform us, will the Emperor treat?
"Or do the prints and papers lie ?”
Faith, Sir, you know as much as I.
"Ah, Doctor, how you love to jeft!
""Tis now no fecret" --- I protest
"Tis one to me ---" Then tell us, pray,
"When are the troops to have their pay?"
And, though I folemnly declare

I know no more than my lord mayor,
They stand amaz’d, and think me grown
The clofeft mortal ever known.

Thus in a fea of folly toft,

My choiceft hours of life are loft;
Yet always wishing to retreat,
Oh, could I fee my country feat!

110

115

120

125

There leaning near a gentle brook,

Sleep, or perufe fome ancient book;

130

And there in fweet oblivion drown

Thofe cares that haunt the court and town.

THE

THE AUTHOR UPON HIMSELF. 1713.

By an old

[A few of the first lines are wanting.]

-pursued

A crazy prelate *, and a royal prude † ;
By dull divines, who look with envious eyes
On every genius that attempts to rife;
And paufing o'er a pipe, with doubtful nod,
Give hints, that poets ne'er believe in God;
So clowns on fcholars as on wizards look,
And take a folio for a conjuring book.

Swift had the fin of wit, no venial crime;
Nay, 'tis affirm'd, he fometimes dealt in rhyme:
Humour and mirth had place in all he writ;
He reconcil'd divinity and wit:

Hemov'd and bow'd, and talk'd with too much grace;
Nor fhew'd the parfon in his gait or face;
Defpis'd luxurious wines and coftly meat;
Yet ftill was at the tables of the great;
Frequented lords; faw those that saw the Queen;
At Child's or Truby's never once had been;
Where town and country vicars flock in tribes,
Secur'd by numbers from the laymen's gibes;
And deal in vices of the graver fort,
Tobacco, cenfure, coffee, pride, and port,

But, after fage monitions from his friends,

His talents to employ for nobler ends 5

Dr. Sharp, archbishop of York,

+ Q. Anne.

ΤΟ

To better judgements willing to submit,
He turns to politicks his dangerous wit.
And now, the public intereft to fupport,
By Harley Swift invited comes to court ;
In favour grows with minifters of state;
Admitted private, when fuperiors wait:
And Harley, not afham'd his choice to own,
Takes him to Windfor in his coach alone.
At Windfor Swift no fooner can appear,
But St. John comes and whispers in his ear:
The waiters ftand in ranks; the yeomen cry,
Make room, as if a duke were paffing by.

Now Finch* alarms the lords: he hears for certain This dangerous prieft is got behind the curtain. Finch, fam'd for tedious elocution, proves That Swift oils many a spring which Harley moves. Walpole and Aiflabie †, to clear the doubt, Inform the Commons, that the fecret's out: "A certain Doctor is obferv'd of late "To haunt a certain minifter of ftate: "From whence with half an eye we may difcover "The peace is made, and Perkin muft come over.' York is from Lambeth fent, to fhew the Queen A dangerous treatise ‡ writ against the spleen ; Which, by the ftyle, the matter, and the drift, 'Tis thought could be the work of none but Swift. Poor York! the harmless tool of others hate; He fues for pardon §, and repents too late.

The earl of Nottingham.

They both spoke against him in the H. of C.

Tale of a Tub.

He fent a meffage, to afk Swift's pardon.

Now, angry Somerset * her vengeance vows
On Swift's reproaches for her *****

From her red locks her mouth with venom fills,
And thence into the royal ear inftills.
The Queen incens'd, his fervices forgot,
Leaves him a victim to the vengeful Scot †.
Now through the realm a proclamation spread,
To fix a price on his devoted head ‡,
While innocent, he fcorns ignoble flight;
His watchful friends preferve him by a fleight.
By Harley's favour once again he shines;
Is now carefs'd by candidate divines,

Who change opinions with the changing scene:
Lord! how were they mistaken in the Dean!
Now Delawar again familiar grows;

And in Swift's ear thrufts half his powder'd nose.
The Scottish nation, whom he durft offend,
Again apply that Swift would be their friend .
Ey faction tir'd, with grief he waits a while,
His great contending friends to reconcile,
Performs what friendship, juftice, truth require:
What could he more, but decently retire?

* See the Windfor Prophecy.

The duke of Argyll.

For writing" The Public Spirit of the Whigs."

Then lord treasurer of the household, who cautiously avoided

Swift while the proclamation was impending.

He was vifited by the Scotch lords more than ever.

THE

THE FAGGOT.

Written when the Miniftry were at Variance, 1713.

BSERVE the dying father speak :
Try, lads, can you this bundle break?
Then bids the youngest of the fix
Take up a well-bound heap of sticks.
They thought it was an old man's maggot;
And ftrove by turns to break the faggot :
In vain; the complicated wands

Were much too strong for all their hands.
See, said the fire, how foon 'tis done :
Then took and broke them one by one.
So ftrong you'll be, in friendship tied;
So quickly broke, if you divide.
Keep close then, boys, and never quarrel :
Here ends the fable, and the moral.

This Tale may be apply'd in few words
To treasurers, comptrollers, ftewards;
And others, who in folemn fort,
Appear with flender wands at court;
Not firmly join'd to keep their ground,
But lafhing one another round:

While wife men think they ought to fight
With quarter-ftaffs inftead of white;
Or conftable with staff of peace,

Should come and make the clattering ceafe;
Which now difturbs the Queen and court,
And gives the Whigs and rabble fport.